Jets Reverse Disqualification of Fan in $100K Kicking Contest

The New York Jets have reversed their decision to disqualify a devoted fan from participating in a $100,000 field goal kicking contest during halftime of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium, allowing Ashley Castanio-Gervasi to compete after an initial ruling based on her background as a high school soccer coach.

Castanio-Gervasi, a 33-year-old math teacher and head coach of the girls' varsity soccer team at Long Beach High School on Long Island, qualified for the "Kick for Cash" event by successfully making a 20-yard field goal at a tailgate outside the stadium during the Jets' October game against the Carolina Panthers. Jets staff had spotted her kick during a September tailgate against the Buffalo Bills and invited her to participate, asking only about her college soccer experience, which she disclosed as a former Division I goalkeeper at Stony Brook University from 2010 to 2014. The team even promoted her involvement, securing permission to share her story with local media, including the Long Island Herald.

On Monday, however, Castanio-Gervasi received a call from Jets representatives informing her she was ineligible under competition rules that...